The present invention relates to a method for repelling arthropods involving treating an object or area with an arthropod repelling effective amount of at least one compound having the formula
wherein X is O, S, NH, N-NH2, N-CH3 or CH2, R′ is H or alkyl, R″ is alkyl, n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, and mixtures thereof, optionally including a carrier material or carrier. The compound is preferably homopiperazine, 1-methylhomopiperazine, 1-methylpyrrolidine, (R)-(−)-2-methylpiperazine, (S)-(+)-2-methylpiperazine, 2-methylpiperazine, 1-methylpiperazine, pyrrolidine, 1-methylpiperidine, piperidine, 1-ethylpiperazine, 1-methylimidazolidine, 1-methylthiomorpholine, 1,4-dimethylpiperazine, homopiperidine, imidazolidine, 4-methylpiperidine, thiomorpholine, 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine, 4-methylmorpholine, azocane, 2,6-dimethylpiperazine, 2,5-dimethylpiperazine, piperazine, 1-methylbomopiperidine, or mixtures thereof.
Insect repellants are widely used throughout the United States and throughout the world. In some regions, the use of insect repellants is critical to avoiding or reducing the occurrence of disease carried by insects. For example the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) receives nearly 10,000 reports of Lyme disease (transmitted by deer ticks) and 1,000 reports of encephalitis (transmitted by mosquitoes) annually.
Currently, the most common insect repellent is N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). DEET was designed to be applicable to the skin of subjects, and was designed to repel rather than kill insects. Although in use for some time, concern has recently emerged about the potential toxicity of DEET to children. Recently the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that it would no longer allow child safety claims on labels for DEET-containing products.
Thus there is a need for alternatives to chemicals such as DEET as novel personal protectants for use against arthropods such as mosquitoes.